"RAN" 2003 Obituary

RANDALL o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2003-09-08 published
Evelyn Randall
THOBURN
By Liz ARMSTRONGMonday,September 8, 2003 - Page A18
Great friend, neighbour, heart of a large and loving family.
Born January 5, 1911, in Toronto. Died March 11 in Unionville,
Ontario, of natural causes, aged 92.
Evelyn Marion
RANDALL was the fourth youngest of eight children
born in Toronto's Cabbagetown to Sophie and
Ed RANDALL (an organizer
with Canada's first printer's union.) All the
RANDALLs loved
learning (including a new word every day under the tutelage of
their dad); they loved to laugh and loved music. Like many of
her brothers and sisters, Evie played piano by ear.
Evelyn was married twice, the first time to Norman
POLSON. In
1933, the young couple moved from Toronto to Peru where he worked
as an engineer for an oil company. In the Spanish-speaking town
of Talara, they had the first two of their three children, Barbara
and Carolyn. There Evie became an accomplished horseback rider.
She also became fluent in Spanish after amusing the locals by
asking for "tiny balls" rather than "lemon tarts" in her first
attempt at her second language.
Tragically, in 1940, Norman was killed in an oil-field explosion.
After Norman's death, Evie was given 24 hours to depart for Toronto,
without even time for goodbyes. Back in Canada, pregnant with
their third child (Norman, Jr.), and with very little financial
help from the company, Evie decided more assertiveness was necessary.
After directing her horrified lawyer to tell the company to "stuff"
its apparently rather stingy offer to wind up the case, the parties
finally reached an agreement that paid Ev both a lump sum and
an annuity that allowed her to move to the house that became
her home of more than 60 years.
A few years later, neighbours across the street asked if they
might come over and bring a friend. Evie and the new friend --
usually gregarious people -- were both somewhat speechless that
evening, and more than a little unnerved. He conveniently forgot
his pipe and, once back with a foot in the door, never left.
In order to be democratic, however, Evie sat the three kids down,
presented a slate of four potential candidates, then told them
to vote for their next father. She also made it clear that they
couldn't complain from then on. Soon after, Evelyn and Gordon
THOBURN were married in the living room of their home. (Many
a time, apparently, one or other of the kids was overheard to
say, "Don't blame me, you voted for him!" Evie was quite the
storyteller, and her son Norman noted recently that her "slate"
of four may have included the milkman, mailman and the ice-man.
Clearly, the odds favoured Gordon, and the tale no doubt grew
taller with time.)
Her marvellous life of 92-plus years continued to unfold -- including
a fourth child, Gord Jr., who arrived in 1944. Although there
was a fair share of losses and tragedies, Evie always looked
on the positive side -- even after losing her eyesight -- and
admonished all around her to do the same. Her lifetime motto
was: "Never be a perpetrator" -- never contribute to your own
grief.
Surely it was a measure of her wonderful life that on the March
morning just after Evie passed away suddenly in Unionville, Barbara
hurried over to the Sunrise Assisted Living Centre to find all
the staff gathered in the administrator's office crying together,
and sharing a loving cup of one of Evie's favourite liqueurs
in her honour. In the year since her move from her home of many
years, Evie had captured a whole new set of hearts, with her
repertoire of favourite piano tunes (including When I Grow Too
Old to Dream), her even larger stock of bad jokes and, of course,
her effervescent personality.
Liz ARMSTRONG was once a neighbour of Evelyn
THOBURN.
She wrote
this with help from Evelyn's eldest daughter, Barbara
TOWE.

RANKIN o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2003-03-06 published
McMULLEN,
Kathleen
At the Northumberland Health Care Centre, Cobourg, Monday, March
3, 2003 at the age of 93. Kathleen (née
FITZPATRICK,) wife of
the late George Adams
McMULLEN.
Loving mother of Linda
McMULLEN
of Peterborough and Bob
McMULLEN
(AnneMarie) of Stratford. Predeceased
by her daughter Margie
LEMON.
Mother-in-law of Morley
LEMON and
his wife Sandra. Dear Nana of William
LEMON and his wife Donna,
Kelly Anne
LEMON,
Jennifer,Julie and Michael
McMULLEN. Great
grandmother of Meg and Ben
LEMON.
Sister of Margaret
FITZPATRICK
of Cobourg. Kathleen will also be remembered by her extended
family David
PATERSON,
ElspethRUSSELL and Diane
RANKIN and families.
A memorial service will be held at the Legion Village Recreation
Hall, 111 Hibernia Street, Cobourg, on Saturday, March 8 at 2: 00
p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations to the charity of your choice
would be appreciated by the family.